“The Fourth Church was Thyatira meaning “sweet perfume of sacrifice”, which is suggestive of relatively slow-burning incense and implies a long period of suffering.

(Thya)-teiro denotes “to rub hard,” especially in regard to the effects of pain and sorrow on body and mind, “to wear away, wear out, distress.” Thus, those Christians in the Thyatira era who were submissive to the Lord’s leadings and the crushing experiences became, as a result of their obedience, like a sweet powdered incense or fragrance in the nostrils of their God.”

“During the Thyatira period, which extended from A.D. 1157 to 1367, the virgin Church was enduring the hardships of the wilderness under papal persecution, while the apostate Church sat on the throne of her royal paramour. The literal city of Thyatira was known for purple dye (described in the Western World as a “turkey” or “cardinal red”) and for scarlet cloth and dyed linens, which won wide recognition (Acts 16:14). The purple and scarlet cloth fittingly corresponds to the regal robes worn by the worldly Church during her reign with the kings of the earth—when she was a “woman… arrayed in purple and scarlet color” (Rev. 17:4).” (The Keys of Revelation, Page 52-53)

“This period of Church history is marked by several strange occurrences.

Peter Waldo has the Bible translated into French — the first vernacular translation since the Latin Vulgate Bible of the 300’s. Since Latin had died out as a functional language, the Bible had not been available to any who could not read Latin. Waldo changed all this, and this change was a terrible threat to the established Papal authority. Waldo and his followers (usually called Waldenses) were forced to operate mostly in secret. They, for the most part, physically left the cities and formed little enclaves in the mountains of Europe. From these locations they traveled as merchants spreading the Gospel as they gained access to the presence and the confidence of their customers.

This period also sees what Papacy calls “The Babylonian Captivity” of the Papacy. Through political moves, the Papacy relocated to Avignon in France for about 70 years beginning in 1309. While this physical relocation might not seem important, the political and spiritual ramifications were very important. It ultimately leads to the Great Schism of the Sardis period in which as many as three popes are trying to function at once!

The Hundred Years War begins in 1337. This is primarily a land squabble between England and France, but it takes many French lives and ruins the French economy. It also, with the plague, helps in the institution of the Peasant Wars — the first real challenge to those in power (the church and the nobility). The Hundred Years War is really a series of wars which end in 1443 — thus lasting more than the name implies.

The great Black Death (A.D. 1334-54) was one of mankind’s most disastrous events. The most conservative estimates state that one-third of the European population died. The most liberal estimates say it was two-thirds. Philosophically, it resulted in two extremes: live it up because we’ll soon die, or reform because the wrath of God will destroy us. The beginning of the Renaissance period was probably delayed by this latter state of mind.

The Papacy was greatly weakened by all of these events which set it up for the final three Trumpets (Rev 8:13) which were, consequently, capable of inflicting WOE to the “inhabitants of the earth.”

“Despite Papacy’s own problems, she did not lose in any way her zeal to persecute. This is the era of “Saint” (?) Dominic, the “Father of the Inquisition.” The brethren of this period suffered greatly. As much as possible they operated in secret to avoid the persecutions; but there is only so much which faithfulness can avoid. The Lord appreciates sacrifice under duress — which this name implies.”

“The fourth angel or messenger was thus Peter Waldo, a rich merchant of Lyons who learned from the Scriptures the terrible errors of the Papacy. He used his riches to translate the Bible, to train disciples, and to spread the Gospel as widely as he could. He had a reputation for an extremely reverent life. He died in Bohemia in 1217, but left behind a movement, which (though now greatly changed) still exists in Italy. Among other things, he preached that there was no dependence on the priesthood for any of the needed functions of the Church.” (N.A.N.O.R. Page 83-84)

In our next post we will take a further look at this forth angel and the Waldenses and what they believed.